Nicolas Winding Refn Set to “Drive” with Gosling, Mulligan

Nicolas Winding Refn Set to "Drive" with Gosling, Mulligan

I normally don’t write about films-in-production press releases, but I couldn’t resist highlighting the package for Nicolas Winding Refn’s new project, “Drive,” set to star Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.

According to the announcement, “Drive” is the story of a Hollywood stunt driver by day (Gosling), who moonlights as a top-notch getaway driver-for-hire in the criminal underworld. After agreeing to aid the husband of his beautiful neighbor (Mulligan), he becomes a target, and then must escape the only way he knows how—”Drive!”

Based on James Sallis’ novel of the same name, the film is being touted as an “Action-Packed Thriller.” But followers of the Danish maverick Refn (maker of the “Pusher” films, “Bronson,” “Valhalla Rising,” and for me the most tragically underrated “Fear X”) know they can expect more than traditional fast-driving hijinks. Currently shooting in Los Angeles, the film sounds to me like it has all the makings of a fantastic mash of B-movie pulp and audacious art cinema.